A number of tools designed for use in connection with the task of caulking have been around for some time. Some of these tools are specifically designed for the application of fresh caulk (e.g., to seal a shower area), and others are specifically designed for the removal of old caulk when it becomes dry and ineffective as a sealer.
When it comes to the application of caulk, one handheld caulking tool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,878. The tool includes an elongated handle and triangular head with working edges. The working edges are two edges of an arrow-shaped flat sheet formed of an elastomer or gasket rubber-like material. The edges form an acute angle that is rounded to achieve the desired finished form of a concave bead of caulk. The sheet is rigidly held by and extends slightly beyond the triangular head. The handle contains a continuous longitudinal cavity for the collection of excess caulk gathered during operation of the tool.
Despite its proposed utility, this tool suffers from a number of deficiencies. For example, the arrow-shaped sheet attached to the triangular head is limited to a single rounded point of contact which does not effectively accommodate caulk beads of varying widths. In particular, such a tool yields inconsistent and sometimes messy results in the context of either a single seal with varying widths along the length of the seal, and/or multiple seals eaching having different widths. This is a significant problem for contractors and handymen and their customers who desire a professional and neat job. In addition, this tool is limited to the application of caulk, requiring a user to carry a separate tool for removing caulk. Moreover, because the cavity runs the entire length of the handle, the tool is fragile and more prone to break or crack in the vicinity of the handle.
When it comes to the removal of cured caulk, one handheld caulk bead removal tool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,536. The tool includes an elongated handle with two working heads. The primary head is located at one end of the handle and features a chisel-like point positioned between two symmetrical, angled, flanking planes to chisel the body of a caulk bead from a joint. The other head, located axially opposite the primary head, is essentially a chisel-like point that is used to chisel, pick or gouge a bead from a joint. The handle of this tool also contains a continuous longitudinal cavity.
This tool also suffers from a number of deficiencies. In particular, the configuration of the primary head limits the effectiveness of the tool to joints that have opposition surfaces that can accommodate the symmetrical planes of the tool. According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,536, the angled planes act to support the cutting and chiseling central point by seating firmly against both adjacent surfaces to a caulked joint. This feature may result in at least two problems. First, if the surfaces adjacent to the joint form a very narrow space, the primary head will not fit and the tool cannot be used to remove the caulk from the joint. Second, if the adjacent surfaces form a large gap (or if there are no adjacent surfaces against which the planes of the tool can be seated), there is no support of the cutting and chiseling central point, resulting in ineffective removal of caulk or perhaps undesirable breaking or bending of the tool. In addition to the foregoing, this tool is limited to the removal of cured caulk, requiring a user to carry a separate tool for the application of caulk. Moreover, like its counterpart disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,878, since the cavity runs the entire length of the handle, the tool is fragile and more prone to break or crack in the vicinity of the handle.
An example of another caulk removal tool is presented in FIG. 1. The tool comprises a handle connected to a metallic head with two working tips—a forward tip and a rearward tip, each adapted to remove caulk from a joint. One deficiency in this tool is that there is insufficient clearance between the rearward tip and a user's fingers when the rearward tip is used to remove caulk with a pulling motion. Since the top surface of the handle is nearly parallel to the bottom surface of the metallic head, the rearward tip is not sufficiently inclined in the ordinary course of use of the tool to remove caulk from a joint.